With Micah Downs (5 points, 4 rebounds) missing a three-point shot on the final whistle that would have taken the match to extra time, Sporting was defeated by Oliveirense by 69-66 in a game counting for the 2nd round of Group A of the 2nd phase of the Betclic League and registered an unprecedented consecutive defeat this season. In the previous round, they had lost to Benfica by 76-90.
In fact, the last time this had happened was in the play-off final of last season against FC Porto, Games 2 and 3. Sporting is now in danger of falling to 3rd place in Group A if this Sunday FC Porto get the better of Benfica.
The lions, who 3.23 minutes from the final whistle were leading 62-66 after a 0-9 partial with triples from Diogo Araújo (10) and Miguel Cardoso (4), never made the score work again while on the opposite side Shaun Wilett (21 pts, 12 rs) and Derrick Colter (7 pts, 5 ass) ended up resolving the dispute, although, in the last seconds, the latter wasted two free throws on different occasions that could have avoided the suffocation of the triple of Downs.
In the Oliveira de Azeméis team, who spent almost the entire match leading the scoreboard since 9-0, they managed by 11 (19-8) and never found themselves at a disadvantage greater than 4 points (48-52 and 62 -64), and Ricardo Monteiro’s 16 points (2 res), with 5/5 in 2.
The Lisboners, who are still without the injured Travante Williams and were also deprived of Tanner Omlid, only in the 2nd half did they give, to spaces, some image of the team that defending is capable of changing the marker and that made it national champion, but errors and poor launch decisions have been a constant since the inaugural fourth.
Diogo Ventura (16 pts, 6 res, 2 ass), Shakir Smith (7 pts, 7 ass) and later Araújo tried to fight against the poor quality presented and still brought some hope from the bench, however, it did not arrive against an Oliveirense that he always believed, although, especially in the 1st half (37-36) he also left a lot to be desired.
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